Impacts of mosquitofish,Gambusia affinis,on black mudfish,Neochanna diversus

The potential for western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, to negatively affect populations of black mudfish in New Zealand wetlands was investigated with annual fishing surveys of the Whangamarino wetland and by laboratory experiments evaluating competition and predation of mosquitofish on mudfish adults and larvae. Abundance of mudfish juveniles was reduced in the presence of mosquitofish at marginal wetland sites close to permanent water, but mosquitofish were not found at ephemeral adult mudfish habitats. In constructed wetland microcosms, mosquitofish reduced both growth and condition of post‐larval mudfish but did not attack or kill mudfish. In laboratory aquaria, mosquitofish rapidly consumed mudfish fry but survival time of the latter was significantly extended by an increase in density of submerged structures and by the presence of an alternative food source for mosquitofish. Because mosquitofish cannot survive in ephemeral wetlands that dry over summer, the impacts of mosquitofish on mudfish are likely to be minimal except in habitats where mosquitofish can survive year‐round owing to the presence of permanent standing water.     

An integrated approach to shallow aquifer characterization: combining geophysics and geostatistics

We present a method of aquifer characterization that is able to utilize multiple sources of conditioning data to build a more realistic model of heterogeneity. This modeling approach (InMod) uses geophysical data to delineate bounding surfaces within sedimentary deposits. The depositional volumes between bounding surfaces are identified automatically from the geophysical data by a region growing algorithm. Simple geometric rules are used to constrain the growth of the regions in 3-D. The nodes within the depositional volume are assigned to categorical lithologies using geostatistical realizations and a dynamic lookup routine that can be conditioned to field data. The realizations created with this method preserve geologically expected features and produces sharp juxtapositions of high and low hydraulic conductivity lithologies along bounding surfaces. The realizations created with InMod also have higher variance than models created only with geostatistics and honor the volumetric distribution of sediments measured from field data.     

Earthquakes in Switzerland and surrounding regions during 2009

This report of the Swiss Seismological Service summarizes the seismic activity in Switzerland and surrounding regions during 2009. During this period, 450 earthquakes and 68 quarry blasts were detected and located in the region under consideration. The three strongest events occurred about 15 km NW of Basel in southern Germany (M_L 4.2), near Wildhaus in the Toggenburg (M_L 4.0) and near Bivio in Graubünden (M_L 3.5). Although felt by the population, they were not reported to have caused any damage. With a total of 24 events with M_L ≥ 2.5, the seismic activity in the year 2009 was close to the average over the previous 34 years.     

龙门山地震带的地质背景与汶川地震的地表破裂

龙门山位于青藏高原与扬子地台之间, 系由一系列大致平行的叠瓦状冲断带构成, 自西向东发育汶川茂汶断裂、映秀北川断裂和彭县灌县断裂,并将龙门山划分为3个构造地层带,分别为变形变质构造地层带（主要由志留系泥盆系浅变质岩和前寒武系杂岩构成）、变形变位构造地层带（主要由上古生界三叠系沉积岩构成）、变形构造地层带（主要由侏罗系至第三系红层和第四纪松散堆积构成）。 龙门山断裂带属地震危险区,3条主干断裂皆具备发生7级左右地震的能力,其中映秀北川断裂是引发地震的最主要断层,据对彭县灌县断裂青石坪探槽场地的研究结果表明,在该断裂带上最晚的一次强震发生在93040a.B.P.左右,据此,可以初步判定,这3条主干断裂的单条断裂上的强震复发间隔至少应在1000a左右,表明龙门山构造带及其内部断裂属于地震活动频度低但具有发生超强地震的潜在危险的特殊断裂,以逆冲-右行走滑为其主要运动方式。 汶川地震属于逆冲走滑型的地震,地表破裂分布于映秀北川断裂带和彭县灌县断裂带上。根据近南北向的断裂（小鱼洞断层、擂鼓断层和邓家坝断层）和地表断距可将映秀北川断层的地表破裂带划分为两个高值区和两个低值区,两个高值区分别位于南段的映秀-虹口一带和位于中北段的擂鼓北川县城邓家坝一带;两个低值区分别位于中南段的白水河茶坪一带和北段的北川黄家坝至平武石坎子一带,两个高值区分别与小鱼洞断层和擂鼓断层相关。根据保存于破裂面上的擦痕,可将该地震破裂过程划分为两个阶段,早期为逆冲作用,晚期为斜向走滑作用,其与地壳增厚构造模式和侧向挤出摸式在青藏高原东缘的推论具有不吻合性。鉴于龙门山的表层运动速率与深部构造运动速率具有不一致性,初步探讨了龙门山地区的地表过程与下地壳流之间的地质动力模型,认为下地壳物质在龙门山近垂向挤出和垂向运动,从而造成导致龙门山向东的逆冲运动、龙门山构造带抬升和汶川特大地震。在此基础上,根据汶川地震所引发的地质灾害,对地震灾后重建提出了的几点建议。     

Origin, timing, and temperature of secondary calcite-silica mineral formation at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

The origin of secondary calcite-silica minerals in primary and secondary porosity of the host Miocene tuffs at Yucca Mountain has been hotly debated during the last decade. Proponents of a high-level nuclear waste repository beneath Yucca Mountain have interpreted the secondary minerals to have formed from cool, descending meteoric fluids in the vadose zone; critics, citing the presence of two-phase fluid inclusions, argued that the minerals could only have formed in the phreatic zone from ascending hydrothermal fluids. Understanding the origin, temperature, and timing of these minerals is critical in characterizing geologically recent fluid flux at the site, and has significant implications to whether waste should be stored at Yucca Mountain.Petrographic and paragenetic studies of 155 samples collected from the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) and repository block cross drift (ECRB) tunnels indicate that heterogeneously distributed calcite with lesser chalcedony, quartz, opal, and fluorite comprise the oldest secondary minerals. These are typically overgrown by intermediate-aged calcite, often exhibiting distinctive bladed habits. The youngest event recorded across the site is the deposition of Mg-enriched (up to ∼1 wt%) and depleted, growth-zoned calcite intergrown with U-enriched opal. The cyclical variation in Mg enrichment and depletion is probably related to climate changes that have occurred during the last few million years. The distribution of secondary minerals is consistent with precipitation in the vadose zone.Fluid inclusion petrography of sections from the 155 samples determined that 96% of the fluid inclusion assemblages (FIAs) contained liquid-only inclusions that formed at ambient temperatures (<35°C). However, 50% of the samples (n = 78) contained relatively rare FIA that contain both liquid-only and liquid plus vapor inclusions (herein termed two-phase FIAs) that formed at temperatures above 35°C. Virtually all of these two-phase FIAs occur in paragenetically old calcite; rare two-phase inclusion assemblages were also observed in early fluorite and quartz, and early-intermediate calcite. Homogenization temperatures (≡ trapping temperatures) across Yucca Mountain are generally 45 to 60°C, but higher temperatures reaching 83°C were recorded in calcite from the north portal and ramp of the ESF. Cooler temperatures of ∼35 to 45°C were recorded in the intensely fractured zone. Multiple populations of two-phase FIAs from lithophysal cavities in the ESF and ECRB cross drift indicate early fluid cooling with time from temperatures >45°C in early calcite, to <35 to 45°C in paragenetically younger calcite. Freezing point depressions range from −0.2 to −1.6°C, indicating trapping of a low salinity fluid. The majority of intermediate calcite and all outermost Mg-enriched calcite contains rare all-liquid inclusions and formed from ambient temperature (<35°C) fluids.Carbon and oxygen isotope data reveal a consistent trend of decreasing δ¹³C (from 9.5 to −8.5‰) and increasing δ¹⁸O (from 5.2 to 22.1‰) values from paragenetically early calcite to Mg-enriched growth-zoned calcite. Depleted δD values (−131 to −90‰) of inclusion fluids from intermediate and the youngest Mg-enriched calcite indicate derivation from surface meteoric fluids. Recalculation of δ¹⁸O_H2O values of −12 to −10‰ is consistent with derivation from paleometeoric fluids.Results of integrated U-Pb dating (opal and chalcedony) and fluid inclusion microthermometry indicate that two-phase FIAs that trapped fluids of >50°C are older than 6.29 ± 0.30 Ma. Two-phase FIAs in paragenetically later calcite, which formed from fluids of 35 to 45°C, are older than 5.32 ± 0.02 Ma. There is no evidence for trapping of fluids with elevated temperatures during the past 5.32 my. The youngest Mg-enriched calcite intergrown with opal began to precipitate between about 1.9 to 2.9 Ma and has continued to precipitate within the past half million years. The presence of liquid-only inclusions and the consistent occurrence of Mg-enriched calcite and opal as the youngest event indicate a minor, but chemically distinct, ambient temperature (<35°C) fluid flux during the past 2 to 3 my.     

PM2.5 co-benefits of climate change legislation part 1: California’s AB 32

The Scoping Plan for compliance with California Assembly Bill 32 (Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006; AB 32) proposes a substantial reduction in 2020 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from all economic sectors through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other technological measures. Most of the AB 32 Scoping Plan measures will simultaneously reduce emissions of traditional criteria pollutants along with GHGs leading to a co-benefit of improved air quality in California. The present study quantifies the airborne particulate matter (PM_2.5) co-benefits of AB 32 by comparing future air quality under a Business as Usual (BAU) scenario (without AB 32) to AB 32 implementation by sector. AB 32 measures were divided into five levels defined by sector as follows: 1) industrial sources, 2) electric utility and natural gas sources, 3) agricultural sources, 4) on-road mobile sources and 5) other mobile sources. Air quality throughout California was simulated using the UCD source-oriented air quality model during 12 days of severe air pollution and over 108 days of typical meteorology representing an annual average period in the year 2030 (10 years after the AB 32 adoption deadline). The net effect of all AB 32 measures reduced statewide primary PM and NO_x emissions by ~1 % and ~15 %, respectively. Air quality simulations predict that these emissions reductions lower population-weighted PM_2.5 concentrations by ~6 % for California. The South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) experienced the greatest reductions in PM_2.5 concentrations due to the AB 32 transportation measures while the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) experiences the smallest reductions or even slight increases in PM_2.5 concentrations due to the AB 32 measures that called for increased use of dairy biogas for electricity generation. The ~6 % reduction in PM_2.5 exposure associated with AB 32 predicted in the current study reduced air pollution mortality in California by 6.2 %, avoiding 880 (560–1100) premature deaths per year for the conditions in 2030. The monetary benefit from this avoided mortality was estimated at $5.4B/yr with a weighted average benefit per tonne of $35 k/tonne ($23 k/tonne–$45 k/tonne) of PM, NO_x, SO_x, and NH₃ emissions reduction.     

High-levels of microplastic pollution in a large,remote, mountain lake

Despite the large and growing literature on microplastics in the ocean, little information exists on microplastics in freshwater systems. This study is the first to evaluate the abundance, distribution, and composition of pelagic microplastic pollution in a large, remote, mountain lake. We quantified pelagic microplastics and shoreline anthropogenic debris in Lake Hovsgol, Mongolia. With an average microplastic density of 20,264 particles km⁻², Lake Hovsgol is more heavily polluted with microplastics than the more developed Lakes Huron and Superior in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Fragments and films were the most abundant microplastic types; no plastic microbeads and few pellets were observed. Household plastics dominated the shoreline debris and were comprised largely of plastic bottles, fishing gear, and bags. Microplastic density decreased with distance from the southwestern shore, the most populated and accessible section of the park, and was distributed by the prevailing winds. These results demonstrate that without proper waste management, low-density populations can heavily pollute freshwater systems with consumer plastics.     

The fluvial and geomorphic context of Indian Knoll,an Archaic shell midden in West‐Central Kentucky

Indian Knoll is the largest Archaic shell midden excavated by WPA archaeologists in Kentucky. Situated in a large alluvial valley, the site is not associated with a known river shoal as might be expected, making its fluvial and geomorphic setting of interest. Based on sediment cores and auger samples, undisturbed portions of the site remain despite extensive excavations. In undisturbed portions, a shell‐bearing layer is overlain by a shell‐free midden layer. Profiles of organic matter and calcium carbonate content for both layers are similar to those of other Green River shell middens. New radiocarbon determinations date the shell deposit at 5590–4530 cal yr B.P. Analysis of mussel species collected from the Indian Knoll indicates that shell fishing took place in a swiftly flowing, shallow to moderately deep setting of the main river channel. Overall, the prehistoric river setting adjacent to Indian Knoll was characterized by deeper water on average with variable but finer‐grained substrate compared to other Green River shell midden sites. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.